Yes, you'd better not pay attention to statement concerning 'first, and then', you just don't know what comes first in sentences like "Весной там то жарко, то холодно". То,... то means something happens one after another, but you never know what comes first.
I can give you some more examples for better understanding.
Мне то хорошо, то плохо. (I feel sometimes well, sometimes bad)
Самолёт то появлялся, то снова исчезал. (The airplane sometimes appeared in the sky, sometimes disappeared)